


The Three Day Deancasversary

by mittensmorgul (MittenWraith)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Destiel Day, M/M, Meta, The Three Day Deancasversary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-07 16:47:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16857655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MittenWraith/pseuds/mittensmorgul
Summary: The Deancasversary, as related in Lazarus Rising, documented for posterity as a holiday that should encompass an entire long weekend rather than just a single day.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I made this original post back on September 18, 2015, but with tumblr acting funky, I wanted to be sure never to lose this post.

I know, I know. Everyone’s happily celebrating September 18 today. But to me, it should really be a two-day holiday (or even THREE DAYS, as has been pointed out after the original posting of this post). Cas did not walk into the barn in a rain of sparks and a hail of shotgun blasts on September 18, 2008. I am going to yell about this until I’m dead, so here goes. An essay in screencaps (from [Home of the Nutty](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.homeofthenutty.com%2Fsupernatural%2Fscreencaps%2Fthumbnails.php%3Falbum%3D61&t=NTY4Mzk2MTI4MGVlY2NjYzAxNTdiNTkwYWVmZDhjMWExMDI0ZjI0NixiR0F4UGoybw%3D%3D&b=t%3AgQ2jjt29OviG-kJJpyAysQ&p=http%3A%2F%2Fmittensmorgul.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F129360374055%2Fthe-three-day-deancasversary&m=1) because I have no screencapping abilities of my own). *below the cut because LOTS OF PICTURES and most likely nobody actually cares, because everyone’s randomly spent the last  ~~seven~~   ~~eight~~   ~~nine~~  TEN years latched on to the wrong date for the barn scene, and I can only assume that means everyone already knows better because I’m really just pointing out the incredibly obvious here, and I’m just wasting everyone’s time… but dammit. September 19th is the Love At First Stab event, and I care.

*note: I initially was going to use maybe half a dozen screencaps for this and then stop once I proved my point, but I was having too much fun and this sort of turned into a loopy destiel-ish romp through the whole episode. So whatever. It’ll stand as tribute to the fact that I just can’t help myself sometimes.

**Edited to add: Yes, I know Cas yoinked Dean from Hell and gave him the handprint and shoved him into his coffin on September 18.

***Edited again for 2016 *blows party horn and throws confetti* *or possibly the 8th anniversary symbolic gift which i’ve just learned is Linens and Lace, do with that information what you will

****Edited again for 2017 (because heck September 19, 2017 is my freaking 20th anniversary so I figured I’d celebrate) 

*****Edited again for 2018 because this is the Glorious Tenth DeanCasVersary! *blows party horns with party!Cas*

September 18, 2008: Dean pops out of his grave 

He walks to the gas station and finds the paper with the date

And we first see The Handprint. *oh yeah, Dean, I’m with you on that.*

He has a one sided and very loud chat with Cas

Then Dean tries to call Bobby, gets threatened and hung up on, so he steals a car and starts driving to South Dakota (since his grave was inexplicably located near Pontiac, Illinois despite the fact that Dean was killed by hellhounds in New Harmony, Indiana– more than 200 miles away… which means Sam drove Dean’s body more than 200 miles before burying him, but that’s neither here nor there for the purposes of this post… back to the point now.).

I checked, and it’s an EIGHT AND A HALF HOUR DRIVE from Pontiac to Sioux Falls. So it’s at LEAST early afternoon on September 18th by the time he gets to Bobby’s. Bobby puts him through all the usual tests to prove he’s really Dean.

*of course I would include that shot* 

Dean learns about what happened while he’d been in Hell, and they track down Sam, who’s (funnily enough) tracking demons all the way back in Pontiac, Illinois. So… back in the car they go, hauling ass EIGHT AND A HALF HOURS BACK to the town Dean just left. Notice it’s DARK OUTSIDE by the time they find Sam in the hotel room in Pontiac (so, clearly the evening of September 18th):

Yes, hello Ruby, no we’re not delivering pizza, yes Sam that really is Dean… who’s lying through his teeth about what he remembers about Hell… But whatever. Have a hug:

Yes. Good. *uncomfortable conversation about how Dean escaped Hell, he gets his Samulet back, and Bobby suggests they go talk to a psychic he knows to see if she can tell them anything about the critter that hauled Dean’s ass out of the inferno.* They all head out to the cars, Dean’s reunited with Baby and un-douche-ifies her by chucking the ipod dock… Look at his heart eyes for his Baby!

Bobby describes Pamela’s house as being “a few hours away” from where they were in Pontiac, and introduces her as “the best damn psychic in the state,” but we are never told WHAT state that is. Note that it is STILL night when they’re driving to her house, but by the time they get to Pamela’s… BOOM. DAY. So clearly, even if it’s early morning, IT IS ALREADY SEPTEMBER 19.

WELCOME TO DAY TWO OF THE DEANCASVERSARY! *blows additional party horn and scrapes confetti up into a pile to toss again*

A little invoking, conjuring, and commanding later, and Pamela’s being rushed to the hospital after Cas (oopsie) burned her eyes out. Which brings us to the diner (which I assume is back in Pontiac, because that’s where Sam had been tracking demons), so this has to be at least midday going by Bobby’s “a few hours away” description of the drive from Pamela’s place.

And they have a nice chat with the demon who brought Dean pie, and then Dean and Sam argue about the best way to handle the demons.

Poor Dean had to PAY the demon for the pie, but he didn’t actually get to EAT the pie. Probably a good thing in this case. Demon pie would probably give you tummy troubles anyway.

Which brings us to the evening of September 19, because it’s dark outside. :P Dean’s nodded off back at the Astoria hotel, and Sam “steals” Baby so he can meet up with Ruby on the sly. Dean wakes up to another SUPER LOUD serenade from Cas that quite literally brings down the house (or at least the glass portions of said house).

It’s a good thing Bobby came along and pulled Dean out of that room before the rest of the ceiling fell down and chopped him to ribbons. I’ve always wondered if Cas could hear what was going through Dean’s mind at the time. Because I assume it could be interpreted as quite fervent prayer, even if Dean didn’t specifically address it to Cas. I imagine his internal monologue went something like HOLY SWEET MOTHER OF FUCK JUST MAKE IT FUCKING STOP JESUS CHRIST WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS SHIT IF THIS IS GOING TO BE MY LIFE ON EARTH NOW THEN FUCKING SEND ME BACK TO HELL GOD DAMMIT. I imagine Cas doing the squinty head tilt of confusion at Dean’s reaction to his friendly greeting. I mean, Cas was probably just saying HELLO DEAN.

Whatever, moving on. Bobby and Dean drive out to do their arts and crafts project in the old barn, while Dean wants to keep Sam out of danger. Meanwhile, Sam pays a visit to  ~~danger~~  Ruby, and everybody lies about what they’re up to. And it’s still theoretically September 19. (ehhhh, might technically be September 20 at this point based on clock evidence [@flyingfish1](https://tmblr.co/mDnGiNYHmUc0waCcxPdtJXw) found for me  ~~last year~~  probably several years ago now:

This was from the motel just before Cas yelled the ceiling down on Dean. So officially September 20 now.)

Dean and Bobby get the barn all painted up fancy to welcome Castiel. How thoughtful! Castiel acknowledges their efforts by rattling the roof and smashing through the door, before blowing out all the lights, as you do.

Dean and Bobby reply with the customary volley of gunshots

Cas introduces himself as the “one who gripped you tight and raised you from Perdition,” so Dean thanks him with a knife through the heart. *stab of love* But the best is Dean’s face when Ruby’s knife doesn’t even inconvenience Cas. The OH DEAR LORD WHAT HAVE I DONE look.

  


Which frankly gets even better after Cas pulls the knife out and casually drops it on the floor

Like what you see, Dean? Cas is like, YEAH I THOUGHT YOU’D BE IMPRESSED BY THAT.

WE NEED SOME ALONE TIME DEAN. LEMMIE BOOP BOBBY FIRST. Nighty night, Bobby!

  


Like my outfit, Dean? I picked it special for our date, You successfully completed the Angel Courtship Ritual.

Dean freaks out a little bit

Cas is adorable and hopeful

And Heaven has plans for them.  ~~And it’s still September 19th, 2008.~~  Heck, by this point, it  ~~might even be~~  most certainly is the wee hours of September 20th. How long did it take them to gussy up that barn, anyway? But I’ll accept September 18-20 inclusive as the real DeanCas anniversary until my dying breath. Even if nobody else gives a damn.

Thank you, and The End.

*also edited to add that yes, I know they technically “met” when Cas pulled Dean out of Hell, but since Dean has no memory of that, it can’t really count as a mutual meeting.

**Also also edited to add that it wasn’t until after Dean and Bobby summoned Cas to the barn that he panicked over what to wear and ran to Jimmy Novak for fashion advice, and to “borrow a suit” pffft. Sorry about that, Jimmy.

Additions for 2017! (technically from 2016, but officially added to this post in 2017):

Questions from [@dorkilysoulless](https://tmblr.co/mEVTCeicV7J6r3Ho8K9UKcA) that I answered [on a reblog of this](http://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/150517205715/the-three-day-deancasversary) last year:

> I have questions!
> 
> \- How long does it take to spring a soul from hell and then tape its body together again (allowing for distractions because “oh my dad, shit, look at him, fuck…”)?  Does the Hell-to-Grave Express do same day service?
> 
> \- What time do we think Dean is crawling out of his grave?  That shop isn’t open, and the roads are empty.  Assuming a shop might open somewhere between 8 AM and close no sooner than 6 PM. is he not potentially crawling out as early as the 17th?

THESE ARE EXCELLENT QUESTIONS. I have asked these questions myself. I’ll try to answer them here.

1\. Soul Delivery Service. We know one month of our time feels like 10 years in Hell, or thereabouts. But once Cas gripped Dean tight, we don’t know where they went for the whole Dean Reassembly Project. Heaven? Jupiter? Blade of grass? Outside of time, like half a second in the past? The men’s room at the nearest Biggersons? We just don’t know. So we don’t know how long that may have taken (or how long it may have seemed to have taken relative to Earth time). What we do know is that however long it had been since Dean had been removed from Hell, he did pop out of the dirt on the morning of September 18.

2\. THIS ONE HAS ALWAYS BUGGED ME. The fill-up joint, as Dean called it. The moment he got there it was broad daylight, and there was already a newspaper on the display rack dated September 18. Newspapers are usually delivered to stores between 3-4 am, and in the dirty and dehydrated state Dean was still in when he found the place, I don’t think he could’ve been walking all that long. There was no indication that an entire night had passed, at any rate, and that would’ve been fairly easy to show (with a single shot of him either lying down to rest or just walking in the dark). I think he really did pop out on the 18th. But if so, then when?

I always theorized it had to be relatively early in the morning (what with two nearly 9-hour drives that take place before “dinner time” on that evening, because Ruby said she thought they were delivering the pizza) (which we never saw, by the way), and the pizza place around here only delivers until 10pm, so… going back 16 hours from 10 pm gives us 6 am… but there was some other stuff he did in between just driving back and forth all day.

Let’s also assume that Dean didn’t drive the speed limit. On an 8+ hour drive, if he went 15 mph over the speed limit, he could probably shave a hour and a half of each way, or even more if he was feeling daring and that old jalopy he stole held together, so I guess with an extra 3+ hours to clean up, talk with Bobby, and like stop to pee or gas up the car or whatever, it’s doable.

But then why was that shop not only closed during what we might think of as normal business hours, but deserted like it wouldn’t even be open again the rest of the day? Maybe the owner showed up to take the paper delivery and then went back home to get a few hours sleep before the store opened for the day? Maybe Cas booped the owner so Dean wouldn’t feel bad stealing from the guy right under his nose (including stealing his car?).

To be perfectly honest, it’s the one logic gap I’ve never been able to close, and I’ve clearly spent far too much time thinking about all of this. :P

And for a few more posts on the subject of this post… 

<http://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/150522514520/i-read-your-meta-i-guess-on-the-sept-18th-date>

<http://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/150522857275/i-felt-like-the-gas-fill-up-place-or-whatever>

And if you read all of this and still feel the need to explain to me that September 18 is the date we celebrate because that’s the date 4.01 aired:

<http://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/165478172960/i-feel-like-i-need-to-add-another-disclaimer-to-my>

Not done feeling all happy about BONUS CELEBRATION days? Here, have some fic:

[His True Love Was The C](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F15910824&t=ZTJlNGMzZmRlN2EyZWFiMjUyNzA1NzcwZjU2Mjc2MjdiNTdhMGZkNSxiR0F4UGoybw%3D%3D&b=t%3AgQ2jjt29OviG-kJJpyAysQ&p=http%3A%2F%2Fmittensmorgul.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F129360374055%2Fthe-three-day-deancasversary&m=1): It’s their 10th Anniversary, and Dean and Cas have just figured this out. (2.4k, T)

[Ten Years Gone](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F16003634&t=OGI2NjJiYjViYWE1NGVmYjY4MGQwZDgyMmRjMTM2NTdjMzFiODJiNCxiR0F4UGoybw%3D%3D&b=t%3AgQ2jjt29OviG-kJJpyAysQ&p=http%3A%2F%2Fmittensmorgul.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F129360374055%2Fthe-three-day-deancasversary&m=1): Wherein I invoke the mixtape, which has given Cas the understanding he needs to interpret the words Dean has been telling him all along. (4k, T)

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little addendum for the sake of completeness. There may be more of these as I continue archiving and stumble across them.

[Sep 21, 2015](http://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/129586663245/i-read-your-meta-i-guess-on-the-sept-18th-date)

20 notes

**Anonymous asked: i read your meta (i guess) on the sept 18th date, and i really agree with you. but what /really/ bothers me is that the gas station dean goes to right after he pops up from the grave is deserted and it looks like it's been that way for a while. so why would there be fresh newspapers? PLUS (and i know this is just because of the time of filming) in 4x20 when jimmy becomes cas' vessel, it has snowed, so it's gotta be closer to winter, not the first days of fall. UGH**

OH MY GODS. I never twigged to the snow thing before! But I always assumed he took Jimmy’s vessel some time on the evening of September 19th, because Claire was still awake to watch him leave. Maybe we just need to retcon how Cas’s arrival would affect the environment. He rattled the heck out of that barn and blew out a few lights, but maybe he also made it snow in Pontiac, Illinois in September. I mean, if Raphael could black out the whole Eastern Seaboard, maybe Cas could cause a little localized weather disturbance? WOW!

I had always wondered about the fresh newspapers. I mean, what kind of gas station closes down in the middle of the day when they had to have been open to stock the new papers that morning? Maybe in that sort of deserted location the guy who owns the joint closed up shop and went home for lunch? Maybe Cas zapped him out long enough for for him to have a little private rendezvous with Dean? I assume he figured Dean would want somewhere to wash up a bit and get a nice cold drink to make himself presentable for their date, without any interference from Random Citizens.

So there you go! Two insta-headcanons in one! Cas taking a vessel was a cosmic enough event to lay down a half a foot of snow, and then arranged a little privacy at the gas station.

I always felt really bad for poor Gas Station Owner Dude. Not only did he come back to find his store totally trashed without explanation, his register was empty and his car was gone. :/

The thing that eats at me the most is why Sam drove Dean’s bloody body over 200 miles from where he was killed to bury him near Pontiac in the first place. Weird.

 

 original tags:

  * [spn 4.01](http://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/tagged/spn-4.01) 
  * [castiel angelfish of the lord](http://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/tagged/castiel-angelfish-of-the-lord) 
  * [poor cas still didn't have a notion of subtlety](http://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/tagged/poor-cas-still-didn%27t-have-a-notion-of-subtlety) 
  * [but it was a nice touch to give dean a little bit of privacy since he'd just crawled out of his grave](http://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/tagged/but-it-was-a-nice-touch-to-give-dean-a-little-bit-of-privacy-since-he%27d-just-crawled-out-of-his-grave) 
  * [and explaining why he was filthy and parched would've made for some interesting and uncomfortable conversations](http://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/tagged/and-explaining-why-he-was-filthy-and-parched-would%27ve-made-for-some-interesting-and-uncomfortable-conversations) 
  * [well you see i was happily going about my business flaying this one dude](http://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/tagged/well-you-see-i-was-happily-going-about-my-business-flaying-this-one-dude) 
  * [and next thing i know i wake up in a pine box with a handprint burned into my shoulder](http://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/tagged/and-next-thing-i-know-i-wake-up-in-a-pine-box-with-a-handprint-burned-into-my-shoulder) 
  * [talk about your day taking a real turn amirite?](http://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/tagged/talk-about-your-day-taking-a-real-turn-amirite%3F) 
  * [Anon](http://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/tagged/Anon)




End file.
